Why I Married Niles
by xfilesfanatic
Summary: How did each of Niles' wives view their marriage to him? What did each see in Niles Crane? A big thank you to crazysockmonkeys (Aria) for beta-reading the first part of my story.
1. Maris' POV

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Frasier, so please don't sue.

**A/N:** This fanfiction is from Maris' viewpoint, and takes place sometime after she kicks Niles out of her house in season 3. The inspiration for this story comes from Aria's (crazysockmonkeys) story "Fabulous Life", because it is a Maris POV story, and her Frasier/X-Files crossovers. For those of who are X-Files fans, I thought it would be fun to mention Charles Scully because like Maris, he is an invisible character. So I thought it would be neat if two invisible characters had met one another in person.

….

Why I Married Niles

In a way, I did love Niles Crane, despite what you might think. It's clear I never loved him like I should have as his wife; I'm not oblivious to that. From the day I married him, he was always good to me, and I meant it when I recited my wedding vows and said that I was sipping from the font of his perpetual adoration. It's true, I was… the only sad thing was that I wasn't giving him my love and adoration in return. Well, at least that's how most see it. I know for a fact that this is the reason Martin and Frasier couldn't stand me; I know they thought me strange, but I can't help who I am.

Maybe you wonder why I married Niles. To tell you the truth… there's a variety of reasons involved. First off, Niles and I both seemed to be comfortable around one another. I never really agreed with him about anything, but whenever we were together, each silently doing our own thing, whatever it was, his presence seemed to make me feel complete. I'll give you an example: one night, after helping his father and brother search for that nuisance of a Jack Russell terrier, Eddie, Niles came home scared stiff after having gotten temporarily lost in the park. I was on the couch trying to recover from a panic attack that I suffered after accidently walking into the kitchen instead of my bedroom, and Niles joined me, asking if he could hold me. Since we were both in a frantic state, and I wasn't thinking clearly, I let him; his tight embrace was a little awkward, but I felt whole, and comfortable in that moment.

I guess that the fact that we're both a little awkward also brought us together, in a way. I have my small, elite group of friends and can't really stand to associate with anyone else, whereas Niles' advanced intellect seemed to place him at a level above everyone else. He couldn't really communicate with others like a normal person, not even with me. That's part of the reason I never talked to him often. (The other reason was because I thought my silence was doing him a favor. I could go about my business without having to answer to him, and he could do the same without having to answer to me). I guess the socially awkward get along best when with one another. Our companionship, which was another reason I married Niles, was at its best when there was silence between us. Although I was never really that happy with him, a husband brings more to the table in terms of companionship than money, servants, or a high-class social group like that to which I belong, none of which love truly love me, like he did. My money comes and goes; I receive it and spend it. After I kicked Niles out of my mansion, my servants wanted to go with him; and as for my elite circle, I am only liked for my money. Should I ever lose it all, I'll become nonexistent in their eyes.

The main reason I married Niles, I think, was because I loved that he tolerated me. During the course of our marriage, I pretty much got my way on everything. Like my mother, I've never had to work or answer to anybody. I'll admit, it's a personality flaw brought on by my upbringing, but it's so ingrained in me and I can't shake it off. In all honesty, I don't really want to if I can afford not to. I could go on three-day shopping sprees and just take off; I'd come home and he'd greet me with a "Maris, darling, welcome home." Being married to Niles, I could have a husband and keep all of my freedoms intact. He never put up a fight or complained about it, until of course his jerk brother counseled him to let out his anger and encouraged him to lash out at me. But before then, he said not a word about my habits; instead, he just accepted my ways.

I know full well that had my husband been anybody else, our marriage would not have lasted a month. Anyone else certainly would have tried to place restrictions on my life, something that I could never get used to. Sometime before I met Niles, I was in a relationship with a navy captain by the name of Charles Scully. At the time, I liked him, I really did. He was kind, independent, and well brought up by his family. Bill Scully Sr., his father, a navy man himself, was a respectable man, and his mother Margaret was gentle and kind. Like Charles, his brother was also in the navy; his sisters, on the other hand, had kind personalities, but they were a little strange. One believed in the psychic abilities and paranormal forces, much like Martin's caretaker (Daisy, I believe her name is), and the other pursed a career in medicine, but last I heard, she was considering working for the FBI. That's hardly a feminine career, I must say. But back to Charles, he was like Niles in the sense that he was so caring and that my social status was irrelevant to him. But the problem was, he knew of my desire to maintain a stable, lavish lifestyle, and he wasn't too fond of that. Being a navy captain, his work often required he be moved from one base to another, constantly moving and on the go. If I married him, I would have to follow, and that was something I knew I could never do. The other thing was that he wanted a family, and I respect that, but that's a no-can-do for me. Sure, if I had kids, I could always hire a nanny to raise them, but the problem is I would still be their mother, and that alone would strip me of some of the freedoms I relish to some degree. Plus, if I married into his family, my name would have been Maris Scully. That wouldn't have suited me, and chances are I would have preferred to keep my maiden name, but what husband-to-be would have appreciated that? Needless to say, my relationship with Charles didn't last, and I haven't seen him since we broke up.

When I did marry, and took Niles for my husband, I admit I didn't think our marriage would last as long as it did. When it came to blows after my latest shopping spree, a small part of me was saddened, but another part of me figured that maybe it was about time. I knew I wasn't entirely happy with Niles, and I soon sensed that maybe deep down, he felt the same way. Even I know that my compulsive spending habits, pickiness, and constant health problems are a lot for any man to deal with. But he took care of me, nonetheless. How sweet of him it was to call me and make sure I was consuming enough fluids when I was sick, and to avoid bringing me chocolates and roses, remembering my allergies and hypoglycemia. In spite of all my flaws, I was his Maris. I loved him for these things, but I guess I was just never _in love_ with him. Indeed Niles was a true gentleman; I just never returned his affection for me like I should have. I may not show it, but a small part of me is sorry for that. But we're free of each other now. I'll move on with my life, he'll carry out his, and that's all there is to it.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed the story. Please R&R. As always, I welcome all feedback.**


	2. Mel's POV

**Disclaimer:** See part 1

**A/N:** I hadn't intended to continue this story, but now that I know Niles was married more than once, I decided to write a chapter from the viewpoint of each of his wives. This one is from Mel's POV. Enjoy!

…

I regret I ever married Niles Crane. That pretty much sums it up: pure regret.

When I met him, I couldn't help but feel a certain charge in the air when I first shook his hand and introduced myself. That feeling lasted only a split second, but it felt wonderful and strange at the same time, because ever since my divorce I never really gave much thought to taking interest in someone again. I remember how young and hasty I was when I first got married, and I had my son so soon. The first time around, my married life wasn't exactly peaches and cream, but I learned to live with it, even though I didn't enjoy it, for the sake of my dignity and for my son. But when everything came to blows between my first husband and me, ultimately resulting in our divorce, I couldn't help but feel ashamed. I felt as if I had failed my son, because after that he was back and forth between us in shared custody, and I could no longer provide for him a unified family. I was also ashamed of my image: a divorcee with a child. What would my elite friends think?

After the divorce, I did what I could to get my life back on track. I buried myself in work, earned my reputation as a successful plastic surgeon, and soon after was able to provide a _very_ comfortable living for myself and my son. I learned to hide my feelings, put on a smile at all times, and diverted my attention from men….that is, until I met Niles. It didn't take long for me to realize that we had so much in common. One thing I always make sure of in a man is that he can handle my personality; I know I can be difficult. When I noticed a smudge on my white coat and threw it out in exchange for a fresh one, I was surprised he passed my little test with flying colors: he found nothing wrong with my complaint over a little smudge. I remember after telling him how fussy he must've thought I was, the way he said "yes." It wasn't in a cold or stern tone of voice; in fact, it he said it almost as if he admired my little flaw, and right then I was intrigued by him; and even more so when we struck up intelligent conversation over art museum exhibits.

Aside from everything we had in common, I married Niles because I was crazy about him, even though I didn't admit it to myself right away. I can still picture the first time he tried to ask me on a date; oh, he was so cute, stammering and not knowing what to say. He didn't need words; I could read his eyes, and knew without a doubt he wanted to ask me out, but since I hadn't done anything of the sort in so long, the idea made me uncomfortable. So instead of answering his question before he got a chance to ask it, I took advantage of his stammering, and pretended to assume he wanted Botox for his forehead.

When we did finally start dating, I also got a chance to see that Niles was the epitome of a gentleman, which I came to love. He was so handsome, well-mannered, and polite; everything a woman could ask for in a man; in a husband, for that matter. He was also attentive and willing to take advice from me. When he told me about his brother running for the position as the wine club's cork master, I thought it might be nice if he stepped up and tried to run for the title himself. If I'm not mistaken, he was in the club longer than Frasier, so why shouldn't he run? I had faith in him. When I learned that he did, and _won_, I was so proud of him. It took a while, but eventually I knew I wanted to be with him, and nothing, not even threats from Maris could stop me. In the way I saw it, Niles was Maris' loss.

After six months of dating, Niles and I eloped. It was quite a thrill, actually, and something I never thought I would do again. I acted on impulse and ran away with it, with him. Initially, we intended to vacation at my friend's country cabin to relax and to discuss moving in together. On the way, I told him how much I loved him. He returned my feelings, and gently held my hand during the drive. During those few hours in the car, there was no need for me to fake a smile. I felt so sure about us, I eventually abandoned all idea of taking things slow, and before we knew it, we called a justice of the peace to marry us immediately. I thought what we felt for one another was genuine, and even believed that _our_ marriage would work out. The agony of divorce was a pain we both shared, so my rational thinking was clouded by the idea that we would never inflict the same pain on one another. Well guess what? I was dead wrong.

I guess I should have suspected something when we were reciting our wedding vows. I always thought that part of the wedding was more special when those being wed recited their own…ones that came from the heart, but ours were already prepared. Ones you repeat after the pastor, or whoever the hech is uniting you and your spouse-to-be in the bonds of matrimony. I also should have paid more attention to the look in Niles' eyes during the wedding. Yes, he was facing me directly and smiling at me when he promised to be with me forever, but his eyes weren't exactly smiling back. It was almost as if he struggled to say his vows. His voice and his facial expressions showed no such sign, but like the time he wanted to first ask me out, his eyes told another story. And I should have especially known something was wrong when we returned home and I greeted Martin and Frasier as Niles' new wife. First off, Martin and Frasier didn't seem too excited that they had a new in-law, and second, Niles wanted to keep our marriage secret from Daphne. When I blurted it out though, she didn't seem too excited for us. Oh, I wouldn't be surprised if no one thought I didn't notice their reactions, or if they thought I was passing them off as shock, but I'm more attentive than people think. Usually, though, you can't tell because I'm just too much of a pro with my party face to show it.

I now know that Niles _wasn't_ really looking at me when he married me. The physical image of me standing before him on our wedding night was overcome by the picture in his mind's eye of Daphne Moon. It pains me to understand now that when he said the closing words "for better, for worse, 'til death do we part", he meant "for better, for worse, 'til DAPHNE do we part."

Well, damn him. Even before I married him, there was already somebody else. When he approached me and completely called off our marriage, I was too out of it to do anything but scream. I tried to play it like everything was alright; if we got divorced, I wanted to be the one to initiate it. Yes, I tried to play it that way, but eventually my little plan to be divorced yet again, and keep my dignity intact turned into a quest for vengeance. I intended to drag it out as long as I could, until Niles called it off in front of everybody at Frasier's apartment. Thankfully, things played out like I was the victim, and I got to keep my dignity. But I couldn't keep Niles.

I married Niles because I loved him, and when I recited my vows, I meant them wholeheartedly. We were married only four days, but that's all it took for Niles to wound me. And even though we've been divorced for a while now, it still pains me that things didn't work out. That is precisely why I regret marrying him. He'll never know just how much he hurt me. I myself can't completely describe it in words, but I can tell you, being divorced from Niles hurt me a hech of a lot more than it did Maris.


End file.
